A/N Don’t own, never will. I don’t want any of the boys from Panic to die. This is purely fiction.

~~~

Ryan wakes up. It’s dark, darker than usual. He notices this isn’t his room. It isn’t familiar to him at all. He stands up. He is in a small room, painted a deep scarlet. There are no windows or doors. Ryan does not panic, he wonders where he is. It is cold and damp. Ryan shivers and wraps his arms around himself, trying to keep warm.

“Hello? Is-Is anyone here?” calls Ryan. His voice echoes around the dark room. Nobody answers. Ryan sees a lone mirror on the wall. It is big, like the one hanging in Brendon’s house. In fact, it is an exact copy of the mirror, except with subtle changes. The mirror in Brendon’s living room has a golden frame; little hearts all over the edges. The one in front of Ryan has a golden frame as well, but with stars over the edges.

Ryan peers into the mirror and gasps as his eyes meet the sight before him. It is a rather distraught Spencer, pacing around what seems to be Brendon’s living room. Ryan presses his nose against the glass, wondering what is happening. Ryan hears Spencer speak to someone Ryan cannot see.

“What are we going to do? Ryan’s gone and nobody’s told us anything yet!” said Spencer, frustrated. Jon comes into view, resting a hand on Spencer’s shoulder. Ryan turns away from the mirror, heart beating faster. They do not know where he is. Ryan is missing.

Ryan glances around the room. Once or twice he hears a soft whispering in his ear but turns around to see nothing. Searching the small room he is being held captive in, Ryan finds nothing, nothing but the mirror on the wall.

“Spencer… have the police called yet?” Ryan spins around and almost falls. The person he’s been longing to see. Brendon. Ryan runs to the mirror, desperately searching for Brendon. He sees Brendon on the sofa, looking extremely worried.

“No, they haven’t, Brendon. I’m sorry,” replies Spencer. He sits next to Brendon and twiddles his fingers anxiously. Brendon moans and hides his face in his hands.

“I can’t believe it… Ryan’s gone. I-I…” trails off Brendon and Ryan can’t help but to feel a pain in his heart. But then again, Ryan has to get out of here.

Ryan looks around the room again, searching every nook and cranny. He knocks on the walls, looking for any hidden spaces. He finds none. The mirror! Ryan tries to pry the mirror from the wall, but alas! He fails; the mirror is stuck on the wall.

“What is this place?” Ryan whispers to himself. A low growl to his left startles him. Ryan jumps in fright, turning to his left. Nothing is there. He hears the same growl to his right. Still he sees nothing. Ryan is scared, very scared indeed. He wants to get home, home to his friends. Back to Brendon and Jon and Spencer and Hobo.

Ryan slides to the floor, a stray tear making its way down his cheek. Ryan wipes it off, sniffling. He just has to escape this… this prison. This confined little trap.
Standing up slowly, he makes his way back to the eerie looking mirror, so he can see his friends once more. Brendon is now kneeling on the floor, being comforted by Jon and Spencer. Ryan hears Jon’s soft words and Spencer’s reassuring voice, but it doesn’t seem to be working for Brendon.

“Spencer, Jon,” whimpers Brendon with glassy eyes. “I… I want Ryan back!” And with that, Brendon throws himself into the comforting arms of his two friends, weeping for Ryan. Ryan chokes up, feeling the exact same way. Tears flow fast and freely from Ryan’s honey eyes as he falls to the floor, whimpers escaping his mouth.

Ryan shakily stands up, glancing around. A shadow in the corner seems larger than earlier. But, wait. There was no shadow there! Ryan stares as the black spot becomes bigger, assuming the form of a large beast, neither man nor animal. Ryan gasps, seeing a pair of red eyes appear before him, glowing like hot coals. Teeth sharp and white stand out against the drab background.

“Oh my god,” whispers Ryan. The huge creature approaches him. Ryan backs into the wall, trembling in fear. The same voice he heard earlier is back, this time in a taunting tone.

“You wonder why you are brought here. We do not explain to the prisoners.”

“Prisoners?” Ryan’s breath hitches in his throat. “But… I’ve done nothing wrong!” The creature in front of Ryan snarls, a horrible sound that of a chainsaw ripping through the air. Ryan flinches, his heart pounding against his chest.

“Do not question the authority of The Sanction boy! You know naught of the rules.”

Ryan’s heart skips a beat. The Sanction? But why is he here? That is what he wants to know. Swallowing heavily, he takes a deep breath and asks the voice once more.

“I only want to know… will I ever see my friends again?” asks Ryan with his eyes locked on the black shadow-creature, ready to pounce on him at anytime. The voice laughs.

“Friends? Boy, you can never escape. Your soul is bound here for eternity. Trapped to spend forever in solitary, silently observing through the mirror.”

Ryan shakes his head feverishly. This can’t be happening. It has to be a dream. Tears escape his eyes as he cries in agony of knowing he can never go back. “No, no, no, there has to be some way to get out of here!”

“You can never escape. Bound by the mirror. Lasting forever.”

Ryan’s feet are seized by the beast. Ryan desperately claws at the wall, trying to get away from it. He cries in pain as it bites off his shoe, chewing it up with its horrible, big jaws. Ryan knows what comes next.